How delivery fees are structured
The final cost of delivery can include a service charge, distance fee, small-order fee, tip, and different item prices.
Who charges which fee
Free delivery is often partial
Platforms, merchants, and couriers may each receive a different part of the payment. Fees can vary by time, distance, basket size, membership, and promotion. A free-delivery badge may remove only one line, not every cost. The total should be compared at the checkout stage, where taxes and optional extras are visible.
Follow the final total
An order advertises low delivery, yet the checkout total rises after a service fee and a charge for a small basket. The same goods might also cost more than in store.
What a membership removes
Compare one basket through delivery, pickup, and direct merchant ordering. Keep item prices constant where possible and identify each added fee.
Item prices can shift too
For a recent order, separate the cost of goods from all fulfillment charges. What percentage of the final total paid for convenience?
Compare the same basket
Fee labels and labor arrangements differ by service. Do not infer a courier's pay from the customer's delivery charge.
